Certified specification test container



Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFIED SPECIFICATION TEST CONTAINER Russell L. Morris, Minneapolis, Minn. Application September 17, 1937, Serial No. 164,412

3 Claims.

that which was ordered. This may happen in 10 various ways, as, for instance, through the practice of diverting tank cars in transit, or through the arrival of an incorrect shipment at destination ahead of the invoice. This substitution may not only cause losses to the distributor and consumer but also to the Federal and State tax departments.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a container which may be permanently secured to a tank car or other shipping receptacle, for carrying a certificate or test sheet relating to the specifications of the shipment.

Another object is the provision of a metallic container of weather-proof yet economical construction.

A further object is to provide a container having a slidable closure panel which, when open, will permit access to the interior of the container through its lower end, and, when closed, may be sealed to safeguard the contents of the contain- A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a container carrying a reciprocable closure panel and having improved means limiting the reciprocating movement of the panel and preventing separation and possible loss of the panel from the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which drawing- Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the improved container applied to a conventional railway tank car,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the improved container.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detal view of the container and a portion of the tank car dome, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the improved container, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and showing the slidable panel in a partially open position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional View of the improved container, taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 3, and showing the slidable panel in its closed position.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but show- 5- ing, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, the slidable panel in its open position.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar ref- 10 erence characters denote like parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates a shipping 'receptacle carrying, in permanently united relation, the improved container B, provided at its bottom end with the slidable closure panel C,

adapted to be secured in its closed position by a seal D, in order to safeguard. the certificate or test sheet E normally contained therein.

Any suitable shipping receptacle A may be employed, although, in the example shown, there is provided a conventional railway tank car l0 having the usual dome ll, cap l2 and outlet l3.

The container B may include a rectangular back panel or plate l4 having opposite side margins l5 provided, as by welding, with integral laterally projecting straps l6, by which the back plate l4 may be vertically disposed, in permanently attached relation, as by welding, adjacent a vertical wall portion ll of the dome ll. tween the top and bottom margins l8-l9 respectively of the back plate is secured, as by welding, a. box-like housing 20, comprising a face or front wall 2|, side walls 22-23, and a top wall 24, and forming with the back plate [4, an inverted or downwardly opening pocket or chamber 25. At its lower end, the front wall 2| may include an inwardly projecting shelf or flange 26 in substantial alignment with a horizontally disposed strip or rib 21 projecting outwardly from 4,0

the back plate l4. Secured to and projecting laterally of one side wall 22 at its bottom margin is an angular member 28 including a horizontally disposed leg 29 provided with an eye 30. The

opposite side wall 23 is provided at its bottom margin with an upwardly extending notch or keyway 3|.

Referring to the slidable closure panel C, the same may include an elongate sheet 32 carried by the flange 26 and rib 21 in slidable relation 5 to the bottom end of the container, and to the under surface of the leg 29. At one end portion 33, the sheet 32 may be provided with an upwardly projecting flange 34 adapted, when the end portion 33 is positioned beneath the leg 29,

Inwardly of the side margins l5 and be- :$0

to engage the outer extremity of the leg, so as to limit movement of the end portion 33 inwardly of the leg. An eye 35 is so positioned in the end portion 33 as to register with the eye upon engagement of the flange 34 with the leg of the angular member 28. At its end 36, the sheet 32 is provided with an upwardly projecting stop lug 31. The length of the sheet and the positioning of the stop lug 31 at the end 36 preferably is such that upon the said engagement of the flange 34 with the leg 29, the stop lug 31 will be seated in the notch or keyway 3|, so that the panel C will serve to close the lower end of the container. In this closed position, the end 36 may not be sprung upwardly by an unauthorized person in an attempt to gain access to the interior of the container, due to the interlocking of the lug 37 with the notch 3|, In addition, the lug 37, upon openingmovement of the panel C, will engage the side wall 22, and prevent removal and possible loss of the panel C from the container.

In use, the panel C may be slid to its open position, as by pulling on the flange 34 until the lug 3'! abuts the interior surface of the wall 22. The test sheet or certificate E may then be inserted upwardly into the interior of the box at its lower end between the flange 26 and rib 21. By then sliding the panel C to its closed position, wherein the flange 34 abuts the leg 29, the test sheet or certificate E will be enclosed within the container and the eyelets 3G and will be brought into alignment whereupon the seal D may be strung through the eyelets and fixed against unauthorized withdrawal in the usual manner. When the shipment is received, the seal is broken and removed from the eyelets so that the panel C may be slid open for removal of the test sheet E.

It will thus be seen that a specification test sheet container has been provided which is particularly well adapted to safeguard the distributor and consumer against substitution of liquids or other transportable products having characteristics which, while ordinarily ascertainable through analysis or laboratory test by the shipper at the point of origin, are not readily determinableby the distributor or consumer at the destination of the shipment.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container having an opening and a slideway adjacent the opening, a panel reciprocably carried by the slideway and including a closure portion and a fastening portion having an eye, said panel being movable to a position wherein the closure portion serves to close the opening, and a fastening member including an eye, said fastening member being fixedly carried by the container so that said first and second mentioned eyes will register upon movement of the panel to said closed position,

said fastening portion including a flange abutting said fastening member upon registration of said eyes, whereby to stop the panel in its closed position, said closure portion including means abutting said container upon opening of the panel, whereby to stop the panel in its open position.

2. A container provided with opposite side walls terminating in edges defining an opening at one end of thecontainer, a closure panel for the opening, means guiding the panel for reciprocating movement across the edge of one of said side walls toward and away from the edge of the opposite side wall whereby to permit movement of the panel between closed and opened positions with respect to the opening, said last-named side wall being provided with a notch in its edge, and a lug fixedly carried by the panel so as to rest in the notch when the panel is in its closed position and to abut the first-named side wall when the panel is in its open position.

3. In a container of the character described, a back wall comprising a rectangular plate provided with marginal side edges by which the plate may be supported, a front wall comprising a second rectangular plate, said plate having a flange at its top edge forming a top wall of the container and side flanges at its side edges forming side walls of the container, said flanges being secured at their free edges intramarginally of said first mentioned plate, whereby to provide an access opening at the lower end of the container, said first mentioned platejhaving "an elongate outwardly projecting guide member positionedin spaced relation below said side walls, said second mentioned plate including an inwardly projecting guide member positioned in spaced relation below said side wa'lls,,and a slide positioned between said front and rear wallsnand resting on said guide members.

RUSSELL L. MORRIS. 

